Author Makoto Yukimura apologized to Atsushi Noda, a former JAXA employee on Jan 25, 2022, after the latter criticized the unrealistic setting in the science fiction anime Planetes in relation to space.

Noda had critised the anime and charcters asking,”…what is so interesting about this anime?”

The tweet translates to:

“Planetes, I hadn’t seen it before, so i watched the reruns until the third episode obligatorily. But what’s so interesting about this anime?

I can forgive the absurd orbital mechanics, but the new guy who is supposed to be the main character, if he were assigned to my place, i would immediately fire him as unsuitable person.

This underestimate the universe, especially EVA (extravehicular activity)”

In response to this, Yukimura apologized for his lack of “ability” to make the anime interesting. He also emphasized that the work is a “fiction” and a “fantasy set in the future.”

Continuing to apologize, the author revealed that he was unaware of the facts, and didn’t have any intention to disrespect the people involved in space exploration and wanted to directly apologize to them.

I draw manga with a sweet outlook, “If it’s interesting, will you forgive me?” But of course, some people find it uninteresting. Of course. For that person, it’s not fun to spend time, and only the lies and inconveniences of the gnawing knowledge remain. I have no excuse, just sorry.

Translation of Yukimura’s tweet

The anime Planetes, which has been rebroadcast on NHK E-Tele since January 2022, caught the attention of a former JAXA employee who criticized on Twitter that the influence of the anime can make many people misunderstand the universe.

“Many people misunderstand the universe due to the influence of Planetes, and it is annoying as a professional who knows about the universe, so I have to see everything because it is an obligation,” Noda said.

He also pointed out that the film’s production of “debris” is not actual. Mr. Noda said, “Honestly, it’s painful to see,” but he said, “I got the advice that it would be interesting if I put up with up to 7 episodes.”

The now-deleted series of tweets were controversial among fans of the work. After receiving various remarks from both the creator and the fans, Noda posted a thread of apology.

After Mr. Noda apologized, Mr. Yukimura ended the matter in peace.

He said, “The white flag burned when I tried to erase it with the white flag. I wanted to extinguish the fire as soon as possible by settling the matter immediately with the white flag. I apologize to you for all the fuss. I’ll be careful in the future.”

Planetes is a Japanese hard science fiction manga written and illustrated by Makoto Yukimura. It was adapted into a 26-episode anime television series by Sunrise, which was broadcast on NHK from October 2003 through April 2004.

The manga was published in English in North America by Tokyopop, and the anime was distributed in North America by Bandai Entertainment. Both the manga and anime received the Seiun Award for best science fiction series.

 Planetes is a story focusing on astronauts who are collecting “debris (space debris)” in space in the 2070s.

Source: Richhipos, Twitter(1, 2, 3, 4)